POLICY OPTIONS TO STABILIZE FOOD SUPPLIES: A CASE STUDY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

For the southern Africa region, both a grain stocking program and an import insurance program would have reduced food supply variability more than historical food aid during 1970-95. The stocking program and the import insurance program would have been less expensive than food aid from a donor point of view. These options may be attractive policy alternatives for donors and countries in other regions, given the decline in food aid budgets in recent years and projections of rising global food gaps.